Penitent Feathers
by Master Gray Wolf
Summary: AUGUST 7, 2013: CHAPTER 2 "Monsters" is added. Saint Seiya LOST CANVAS tribute story. After Sisyphos, a new Gold Saint emerges to take on the dark stars above an orphanage. It is a short tale about a breakthrough, a stormy rivalry, and enduring emotional demons. OCs are present. El mito de hades, El lienzo perdido. Also called Cavaleiro Do Zodiaco; A Saga de Hades.
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes: **Masculine/martial arts manga Saint Seiya is property of Kurumada Masami; the deeply perspective spinoff, "THE LOST CANVAS" (LC) is property of Tetsurogi Shiori, in which this fanfic is based off of. Being deeply inspired by LC, and the fans of Saint Seiya, particularly those in the Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian speaking nations, I create this fanfic. An alternate retelling; pre-LC. There are original characters including a Gold Saint and a Specter.

**Title Alternatives: **_Plumas Penitente, 後悔の羽  
_

**Prologue:** The wings of miracles! Sagittarius enters the war

When evil thrives on the world, warriors known as Saints appear. Fueled by a heroic cause, they deliver hope through their fists; blessed armors that model the constellations wrap their bodies – the eighty eight Cloths of the goddess Athena; within their mortal surfaces, and channeled through their emotions in battle, they burn a universal energy– Cosmos. Corruption on Earth, from man or from God, cannot elude the explosive justice of Saints.

In 18th century Greece, Saints gather in The Sanctuary. From arched and pillared stone monuments, to mountain-tucked columned temples, The Sanctuary was a stark reminder of Ancient Roman Empire. It was the home and proving ground of the righteous Saints, and the secular figure that stood as the Saints' figure of leadership.

Athena's statue, her body dressed in a chiton and cuirass, rose tall above the Sanctuary, and its regal presence evoked the goddess's significance to the world. She, the daughter of Zeus, was sent to Earth to become its valiant protector. In her right hand was Nike, her staff named after victory; in her left hand was the golden aegis of wisdom.

Under its helmet, the statue's piercing eyes seem to watch The Sanctuary of her Saints diligently. There were five people in the theater's semi-circular orchestra.

"Whaaaaat?!" a boy in a tunic and thoracic cuirass shrilled. "But, if you do that, doesn't that mean you want to throw something away?"

"Wait! You'll lose your strength, don't do it!" a girl pleaded. She sounded genuinely worried.

"This is her wish," an elderly woman said, "if it helps in her mission." The kids frowned; any other words of disapproval were kept back in their thoughts. Marina had a soft aspect and a nurturing voice that gave out unquestionable wisdom. To add along to the elder's respective visage was the habit she wore. She was a nun; in between her wrinkled fingers, she held long strands of light brown hair. In front of her was the hair's owner, who had a body wrapped in magnificent gold. Deep-slotted wings and a white waist cape sprouted from the Cloth's back.

"Hades will awaken soon," said a giant man; he also wore a gold Cloth. From those words, the winged Gold Saint said nothing. The Saint's gauntleted hands became fists. There was a long silence, as if everyone's minds were heavy with contemplation.

"I see that many men enter war, return and not. It's like either they felt like they're the only ones who can do it, or they have nothing else to live for," said the Saint containing the universe of Sagittarius, the guardian of the ninth house.

"However, I want to be just as devoted to justice, and stand on the same ground as the other Gold Saints. Marina," Sagittarius paused, and then kneeled, "please."

"Yes." The nun lifted the hair to her eyes; in her other hand was bronze scissors.

"Lady Athena has given me such an honor. So now, I have to further humble myself," Sagittarius said.

"Hey how come? I wear my hair long," the large man, Aldebaran, said with a grin. He wore the Cloth of the second house, Taurus.

"I know, but it's a sign that I am abandoning my identity for a new one. It is a new beginning." Sagittarius said. Marina squeezed the hair tightly and moved it in between the scissors' large blades. The boy, Yato, and the girl, Anna, covered their eyes with their hands. The nun squeezed the tool's grip, and the Gold Saint's long flowing hair became neck-length. The brown strands fell onto the ground.

Sagittarius continued, "I'll still be woman, but I'll probably be more like a man. With this, I've given up my figure of lust, my glory of what a man has created, of being a companion." Marina sighed and fiddled with the flat ends of what remained of Sagittarius's hair.

"If I recall Valsylia, you told us that the previous Sagittarius had his hair short," the nun said.

"Master Sisyphos…" The female Saint paused and looked to the ground; she said his name in a woeful voice, then she shook her head.

"He told me, no, he told all of us that we mustn't give up in hope." Valsylia looked up the sky and began to stride for the stairs ascending to the temples, "When you have a compassionate and loyal heart, you form great companions. It is that reason why Lady Athena trusts him so much. I want to look up to him and follow him."

As the female Saint moved from the group, Yato called out to Sagittarius's back, "Hey! Do you think Sisyphos is really dead?!"

Valsylia stopped for a moment, shook her head, and then resumed walking.


	2. Virgo

**Chapter 1:** The Virgo House

"I will entrust this task to you." Those were the Pope's last words before Valsylia bowed to him. Having survived a centuries-old rule, and an owner of expansive knowledge and wisdom of the Sanctuary, The Pope's words easily instilled a strong desire of purpose within the new Sagittarius Saint. No difference in gender could shake her loyalty and courage.

After departing the Pope's Hall, Valsylia descended the temples of her kindred, the Twelve Zodiac Temples. She reached the portico of the sixth temple, and paused to take in a large breath. She walked in, passing in between two sitting statues. Hands folded face-up upon their laps, legs crossed, and their bodies covered in thick robes, the statues were praying upon short pillars.

Valsylia kept her eyes ahead as she searched for the exit. She side-glanced at a colorful prayer rug against a wall, and noticing that nothing or no one was there, she continued forward at a quick pace. The reason why she hurried was due in part of the mission; despite having passed other domiciles of magnificent holy warriors, including the temple of the most serious Excalibur, and the temple of the bloodiest scorpion stinger, Valsylia felt worried. She was entering a place with the essence close to God.

"Do you know it's forbidden to not wear a mask?" a dignified voice echoed. The Sagittarius turned around quickly, and suddenly saw another Gold Saint. His long hair was bright, as if the power of the holy cloth sunk into each and every strand. A red _bindi_ adorned his forehead; there was a feeling of deep wisdom from the young man. Motionless and in a meditative posture on his prayer mat, his lips moved.

"No matter your conviction, your gender hasn't changed," he said. _Is he testing me, or provoking me?_ Val wondered. She also wondered how the Gold Saint knew that she was without a mask when his eyes were closed.

"I do this to stand next to everyone. It is a result of me abandoning my nature, so it is akin to wearing a mask," She replied. "Will you let me pass, Guardian of the Virgo Temple?"

Virgo Asmita said nothing, or maybe he was pondering. It was the law of the Sanctuary for the female Saints to wear an emotionless mask, so that they wouldn't inevitably bewitch their allies. Since the beginning of time, even in the mythological era, the woman whether a mortal or deity was a vicious (and easily humiliated) creature. That was too true even in the world of Buddha; however, Asmita knew he was conversing with one of the same stature – a bearer of the Gold Cloth.

"You, who understands the sin of gender, know that a mask doesn't have a magical power. From my teachings, I must learn to steer away from vanity." Feeling a little impatient, Valsylia kept pressing on for approval, and clutched a crucified rosary that hung around her neck.

"Because you have wings, you have a stubborn nature. As expected from one born from the archer's star." Asmita said. Virgo was highly recognized for his apathetic aspect. Even the other Saints thought that he was so hard to discern that they questioned his loyalty.

"Are you scolding me, Asmita? Is this criticism?" Val asked, her eyes narrowing. The rhythm of her voice expressed a growing agitation. Asmita was not fazed; he stayed in his posture like a rock, unmoved by Sagittarius's goading. Would a man close to God know mercy or mistake? Val let out a calming sigh and raised her hand.

"Where I am from Asmita," Valsylia continued, and pinched the trimmed edges of her hair strands, "the veil represents humility and submission. Every man and woman has a star. Even if one is dimmer than the other, they are not insignificant in the galaxies. I am given a cloth, therefore, I chose this path. The star has chosen me to don this cloth," Val paused to scratch her cheek. "Still, I didn't expect it to be so soon."

Asmita wouldn't speak for a moment, and it made Val believe that he was contemplating over her words. His eyebrows wrinkled, "Within the constellation of Sagittarius, something dark and despairing hovers. Do you have doubts? Are you shaking from something?" he asked.

"If there is a kind of defilement within me, I will seek it and defeat it." Valsylia pronounced, tightening the grip on her rosary.

"Maybe it is not you," Asmita hummed, "but the previous owner."

"Master? Not possible!" She said, her eyes widening. "He is a pure and kind man."

"A very kind man, yes," Asmita slightly inclined his head, "however, even a pure-hearted man can be covered with dirt. And it is the destiny of that kind of man to clean out the dirt in order to shine."

The Sagittarius Saint listened. Asmita continued, "Struggle is inevitable. In many cases it takes struggle to show the true luster of your spirit. Sagittarius, if it's a bad star you seek, it is a soul corrupted and trapped. Our great enemy is the one who swallows the taints of humans and enslaves them."

"Hades," Valsylia hissed the name in between her teeth. The King of the Underworld, Hades was a God who always sung about an "ultimate color", where all the colors come together to become black. Everything was only pure, saved from purgatory, when wiped away. Valsylia, hearing how a God who seemed to pleasure himself over such a dark destiny, couldn't help but feel bile in her body.

"In simple words, there has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it." After Asmita concluded his words, Valsylia spun around to leave. She told the Virgo Saint that she had to leave immediately to go to where the dark stars manifest. Departing from the sixth temple, she rushed through the remaining temples as if in utter urgency. As if someone was going to die if she didn't come to aid.

"I can feel a gentle civility, like she believes in the good fortune of this foolish humanity. She is a little straightforward, but does not get confused by a hoax," Asmita said, and then smiled, "The Sagittarius Saints are known for their sagacity and respect. This should be a fine test for her." The sound of footsteps entered the Virgo House once more. Asmita heard them closing in from behind and he discarded his smile.

"Are you going to follow her, Capricorn El Cid?"


	3. Monsters

**Chapter 2:** Monsters

"Stand back! It is evil!" said the old nun Marina, who shuffled through a large crowd. In Aigaleo, a village in Greece, many people gathered conspicuously at its center. Marina briskly made her way through the parting crowd and towards the attraction.

Planted in the ground was a large full-rounded crater. A villager stated that it was about fifteen walking steps wide. It was completely black, as if devoured by a deep raging fire. What actually had enticed the villagers to come was a flash of light; an explosion followed afterward, which actually left the crater.

"This isn't ordinary," Marina said, shaking her head. "No, it is a grim sign of a struggle, a war between good and evil."

Witnessing the sight, the villagers considered the charred pit the work of an angry God. They looked closer, and lying inside of the crater was a limp man. His entire body was as black as the pit he laid in.

Then nearby, a house exploded. The crowd looked to face flying dust and pieces of wood; two black appendages swiftly emerge from the ground and swiftly coil around a man and woman. They felt their bodies tightening, like being trapped in between the clutches of voracious boas, and they scream out desperately. They felt their life being crushed out of them.

Another shrill cry followed after. A house plus market stalls along the roadside leveled, torn from the ground by a funnel of air ripping through the village. The residents screamed and held their ears; the funnel flowed by them, and suddenly their muscles lost strength. Many collapse to the ground after their legs gave out.

"Muh!" Marina groaned after being struck by the pressure. A tremor coursed through her brittle body, causing her to fall to her knees and hands. Bowing her head, her face nearly touched the ground.

Two figures in stark black armor appeared in the village. They strolled among the fallen with smiles upon their faces, like they reveled upon the results of a triumphed battle.

"How do you like it, you pathetic humans," one asked haughtily, "to feel a pain that'll languidly lead you to the world of the dead?"

"Keh keh keh!" The other cackled. The tentacles that gripped the man and women led to him; after feeling their life, or their bones, giving out, he released his prey. The man and the woman slumped to the ground.

The two simply looked devious, clad in the Cloths of grotesque beasts. Present at the destruction, their grins have yet to wane. It was as if they gave into the disgusting monsters that consumed their bodies, and as a result, they delighted in savagery.

"I am the Celestial Star of Pain, Mandrake Fyodor." Upon entering Aigaleo, it was Fyodor who spoke first. He was tall and lean, looked very human, but had a ruffian aspect with his eye patch. A white tatter drooped from his helmet. In truth, it was a reminder of his Surplice: the mandrake flower. Because of its occult background, its pale color resembled a corpse during the earliest moments of decomposition. Fyodor was a brigand of human lives, and as he smiled, he showed his sadistic nature.

"I am the Terrestrial Star of Concealment, Worm Raimi," said the tentacle one. He was a short fellow with a hunched body and a round feral-looking face. His teeth was jagged like a wild animal.

Every conscious being that laid eyes on them groaned. Their fear was enormous.

The two were spectacles from ancient stories and paintings; they were, like the Gods, were hardly seen in person. Tales described them as death bearers and black ghosts, giving them a befitting name: Specters. Along with the epics of Athena and her warriors, word spread of the Specters being the Saints's most frightening enemies. They were the army of Hades, who pursued eternal darkness upon the world.

"In the end, only peace awaits in the Afterlife. Let us teach you the bane of the mortal world," Fyodor said grinning, pleased at what he said.

"Enough of this!" Someone demanded firmly. Raimi and Fyodor scanned among the injured and the dead villagers, expecting someone to rise, someone bold enough to defy them. Then, they turned around, and saw a white silk cape.

"Oooh!" It took them a short moment to take in the full features: they were deeply allured by the sight of wings and a golden body.

"Dark stars, I won't let you continue what you please!" It was Valsylia.

* * *

"Oh ho, look, look! A Gold Saint!"

Elsewhere in Aigaleo, there was a watchful eye of the destruction. Frog Zelos gawked through the window of another house. Strewing the floor around him were the ashen black bodies of dead villagers.

"The finest of Athena's Saints," said another Specter next to him.

"Their bodies shine with light. With their light gone, the Sanctuary will fade even more." Zelos snickered and rubbed his hands together. "It is a perfect prize for our Lord Hades. By the way," The Frog Specter turned his head, and gave the other Specter a snide look.

"ain't _that_ the one you supposedly killed?" he asked.

The other Specter said nothing; his hands, covered in clawed gauntlets, curled into fists. Zelos hummed with interest.

"Such a stubborn Gold Saint. Maybe it's a good time for payback," he said.

"The conclusion will be the same!"

"Yes yes, fly young one. Spread your wings and show your worth." Zelos laughed, and the other Specter departed.

* * *

"A new face?" Fyodor frowned from his words, "but I heard that the Sagittarius Gold Saint was killed. So who might you be then?" The Mandrake Specter took steps forward. Against the golden light, he was unafraid. He approached closer, and then he clearly noticed a large difference. The Mandrake Specter let out a weak laugh and smirked.

"Oh? What do we have here? Are you, are you his wife?" Fyodor began his taunt. His words carried a tone of delight. "A bereaving wife whose mind is muddled with grief? Or are you his sister, missing her blood?"

An arm's length separated between the Specter and the Gold Saint.

"Or maybe you are his deeply saddened friend?" Fyodor made his first move – a flying spiral into the air. The Sagittarius swung her arm from a nether stance, and that fist of hers, which could split the sky, pummeled right into Fyodor's gut.

"Uwaah!"

"What?!" Raimi screeched. After ascending several feet, Fyodor slammed hard into the ground.

"Is a Saint truly dead?" Valsylia said, lowering her arm. "Among the constellations, it is perhaps the Sagittarius Cloth that bears the most will of Athena."

"Why you!" Fyodor hissed. Regaining his senses, the Mandrake Specter slowly rose to his feet. He glared angrily at Val.

"Keh?! Saint of Athena, for the heresy against our Lord Hades, you will be sent to the underworld. Worm Bind!" Raimi screamed, extending his arms. His tentacles burrow into the ground and rapidly snake towards Valsylia underneath a ripple of dust. The feelers rose from the earth and grip around Val's limbs, neck, and torso with ease. The Gold Saint felt her body getting taut.

Fyodor grinned at the trapped Saint.

"Not even a Gold Saint can elude the calling," he paused, and on his chest he touched the shape of a face, "of death!" The face became alive, its eyes and mouth widening. It let out a piercing scream.

"Die from my Strangling Shrill!" yelled Fyodor. Val felt the violent wave move past her body, tensing her muscles. She clenched her teeth as the scream also grated through her ears and brain. Pain froze her nerves head to toe, she was even unable to winch. It was the same attack as before, which rendered Marina and the other villagers motionless. Both Specters laughed.

After the Shrill, Valsylia sighed, and was able to stand. Her arms tugged Raimei's feelers.

"Huh?!" Raimi gawked, then screamed. A gold aura formed around Val's Cloth, and the tentacles of the Worm Bind suddenly shattered around her. She waved her arms freely.

"What?! She still moves?!" Fyodor's attention was quickly diverted as he heard a sound. He looked down at his Surplice, and saw a crack in the face.

"There is this popular saying among us Saints," Not worried by the slightest, Val raised her hand and splayed her fingers.

"I have you!" Flustered, Fyodor charged the Gold Saint as he swore that he was in control. His sadism would not be gratified if he were unable to bring Sagittarius to her knees, to break her Cloth, to see her life fade from her slowly. More importantly, he had to prove his worth to Lord Hades.

Val narrowed her eyes and finished her words: "that the same technique doesn't work twice!"

The Sagittarius closed her palm, and a burst of light sliced right through Fyodor like an arrow. Passing through his back, it also struck Raimi.

"Keeeeh!" The Worm Specter screamed; the Mandrake was breathless. They felt a hot cosmic flux running through them, and their bodies ripped open with a gaping wound. Propelled off their feet, both Specters flew into a damaged house.

"Marina!" Valsylia noticed the black habit and ran up to the doubled over nun, placing her hands on her shoulders.

"It looks like...it has begun." Marina's words seeped out weakly. She looked up at Val with a concerning look on her face.

"It must be fate to fight you," said a new voice.

Valsylia stood and turned around, seeing another Specter. Unlike Fyodor and Raimi, the Specter was in the Surplice of an avian. He had a similar pose like Fyodor, being a tall young man. His hair was white and his helmet was shaped in a curved bird-like crest. Tucked behind his back were elliptical slotted wings.

"Who are you?" Valsylia asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I am the Celestial Star of Murder, Impudululu Gunnar," The specter said, then his mouth crooked into a smile of confidence. He pointed a finger at Val, "Sagittarius, I will make you fall once again."

"'Once again'?" Valsylia raised her eyebrows, seeing an electrical charge crackle around the new Specter's body. Gunnar's blue eyes were fierce; despite facing a Gold Saint, and the defeat of Fyodor and Raimi, his desire to fight was transparent. The Specter did not waver against Val's mighty presence, her being one of the strongest among Athena's army.

"Guh!" Val suddenly flinched from a blink of light. She felt a blow against her midsection, and was shoved away from Marina. She kept her footing; wisps of smoke rose from the Gold Cloth.

The Specter scowled.

"Keh, I did not break through," Gunnar sounded disappointed. Valsylia looked down at her cuirass and palmed her constellation symbol. _What was that,_ she thought. She had felt a cosmic energy trying to break through her, but it only left a small burn.

"Sagittarius. The sunlight that you resonate from your body," Gunnar said, "the same with the hope from your heart, I am familiar with it." Valsylia looked up to stare at the Specter with adamant eyes, while being a little confused from the attack. She could not discern it.

Gunnar continued, "However, the Surplice that I wear is a symbol of purging life, perfect for my Lord Hades." The crackling energy formed again, surging around the Specter's body. It amplified around his clawed gauntlets, which lit up like beacons, "You have the eyes of a confident soldier. However, I will crush your bravado. The will of Athena cannot save you from my technique of death!"

Gunnar flicked his finger and cried, "Omen Lightning!" A roar cast out, and a jagged light flew towards Valsylia.


End file.
